CAMERA MAN: BUSTER KEATON, THE DAWN OF CINEMA, AND THE INVENTION OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
Museum Member Price: $26.99
Camera Man: Buster Keaton, the Dawn of Cinema, and the Invention of the Twentieth Century Hardcover – January 25, 2022
by Dana Stevens (Author)
In this genre-defying work of cultural history, the chief film critic of Slate places comedy legend and acclaimed filmmaker Buster Keaton’s unique creative genius in the context of his time.
Born the same year as the film industry in 1895, Buster Keaton began his career as the child star of a family slapstick act reputed to be the most violent in vaudeville. Beginning in his early twenties, he enjoyed a decade-long stretch as the director, star, stuntman, editor, and all-around mastermind of some of the greatest silent comedies ever made, including Sherlock Jr., The General, and The Cameraman.
Even through his dark middle years as a severely depressed alcoholic finding work on the margins of show business, Keaton’s life had a way of reflecting the changes going on in the world around him. He found success in three different mediums at their creative peak: first vaudeville, then silent film, and finally the experimental early years of television. Over the course of his action-packed seventy years on earth, his life trajectory intersected with those of such influential figures as the escape artist Harry Houdini, the pioneering Black stage comedian Bert Williams, the television legend Lucille Ball, and literary innovators like F. Scott Fitzgerald and Samuel Beckett.
In Camera Man, film critic Dana Stevens pulls the lens out from Keaton’s life and work to look at concurrent developments in entertainment, journalism, law, technology, the political and social status of women, and the popular understanding of addiction. With erudition and sparkling humor, Stevens hopscotches among disciplines to bring us up to the present day, when Keaton’s breathtaking (and sometimes life-threatening) stunts remain more popular than ever as they circulate on the internet in the form of viral gifs. Far more than a biography or a work of film history, Camera Man is a wide-ranging meditation on modernity that paints a complex portrait of a one-of-a-kind artist.
About the Author
Dana Stevens has been Slate’s film critic since 2006. She is also a cohost of the magazine’s long-running culture podcast, Slate Culture Gabfest, and has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and Bookforum. She lives with her family in New York City. Camera Man is her first book. You can follow her on Twitter @TheHighSign.
Publisher : Atria Books (January 25, 2022)
Language : English
Hardcover : 432 pages
ISBN-10 : 1501134191
ISBN-13 : 978-1501134197
Item Weight : 1.34 pounds
Dimensions : 6 x 1.4 x 9 inches
SIGN UP FOR FREE and receive 10% off your first order! Retail subscribers receive the most-updated information on product launches, restocks and sales!
BECOME A MUSEUM MEMBER for 10% off every day and 20% off during member appreciation days! Members automatically receive their discount online when checking out using the email address associated with your museum membership account. Some exceptions apply and membership discount does not apply to sale items already marked down.
All orders are shipped by USPS Ground.
Processing time (not included in the shipping time) for orders is 1–3 business days. These times may be extended during holidays and promotions. You will receive an email confirmation with a tracking number when your order has shipped.
Ground Flat Rate Shipping―$7.95 Applies to orders shipped in the contiguous 48 US States shipping time is 3–7 business days.
Extended Flat Rate Shipping to Hawaii, Alaska, and Puerto Rico - $22.95 - shipping time is 3–7 business days
International Flat Rate Shipping - $42.95(Includes Guam, American Samoa, and US Territories). International delivery time is 5–20 business days (not including time for customs and other import inspections). Shipping costs do not include taxes and import duties.
For orders shipped to Minnesota, a $0.50 Minnesota Retail Delivery Fee will apply to all online order over $100. This fee is mandated by the State of Minnesota.
For online returns, please email us at academymuseumstore@oscars.org with your first name, last name, and order number so we can assist you.
Refunds will be returned back to the original form of payment and may take up to 7 days to process. Shipping and handling fees are non-refundable.
If you are in the Los Angeles area, online orders can be easily returned in-person at the store. Please bring with you the original order invoice that was included with your shipment. Don't worry, general admission tickets are not required to visit the Academy Museum Store!
Please note the measurements provided may have a variance of about an inch. The description on the detail page will also indicate the fabric content of the item.
For customer service inquiries, please email academymuseumstore@oscars.org or call us at +1 323.930.3035. Our Customer Service team is available during store business hours. We do our best to respond to all customers within 48 hours. Response times may be extended during holidays and promotions. Inquiries are answered in the order they are received.
We are located at:
The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
6067 Wilshire Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90036
United States
General Admission is not required to visit the Academy Museum Store and is open to the general public during our normal business hours.
The Academy Museum is open six days a week 10am-6pm, closed on Tuesday.
